Odds In My Favor
by Audibug15
Summary: Everything was going smoothly in New York... until a girl appears in the newsie's territory, bringing trouble along with her. But when Spot starts to lose his grip on Brooklyn, will he need Manhattan's and the girl's help to get it back?
1. Have Ya Heard?

CHAPTER ONE

"Up, Up, Up! Come on boys! The papes ain't gonna sell 'emselves!" Mr. Kloppman yelled.

I rolled over and squinted against the sunlight that was streaming into the window. _It's so early. I dont wanna get up. Not right now. Ughhh. _I thought. "Ahhh, can it Kloppman. I need my sleep. I was at Sheepshead Bay 'til late last night."

I saw him shake his head before he said, "I don't know why ya waste your time with those ponies. Ya go there everyday and half the time ya come back empty handed and with less money than ya started with. Waste of time if ya ask me."

I rolled over and muttered, "Yeah but i didn't."

"You guys are actin' like you gots all da time in da world. Every mornin' it seems like i gotta remind you that da strikes over. Has been for a year now. So get up. The lot of ya. That means you too, Jack," he said poking Jack in the head as he walked past him.

"Alright, alright, i'm up," Jack groaned and sat up. He climbed out of the bunk and started moving around all the hustle and bustle of the other cranky newsboys. I hadn't moved, and tried my best not to. I couldn't lay there for long though because i saw that Snipeshooter had stole my last cigar again.

"Hey! That's my cigar, ya bum! Give it back!'

Snipe looked at me like i was the two-headed baby from Brooklyn. "Shut up Race. Not so early in the mornin'. You'll steal anudder one anyways."

I snatched the cigar outta his mouth and we started our morning ritual of punching each other.

Kid Blink jumped down from his top bunk and pulled us apart. "Awh, not again. Do yous guys gotta do this every mornin'?"

I rolled my eyes and lit up my cigar. Everytime. Everytime Snipeshooter sleeps next to me, he winds up stealin' my stuff.

I got off the bed and walked over to the wash basin where Mush and Skittery were havin' a discussion on what headline words sold papes best and where Mush could find matchin' laces for his shoes. Pushing them outta the way, i made my way over to Jack, who was busy puttin' on his britches. "I thought you'd stay over there at Davey's last night to see Sarah," I said to him winking.

"Naw, i stayed there the night before. I don't want there folks ta get tired of me, ya know?"

"Ah, true. I see your point. Hey, where do you plan on sellin' this mornin'? I might go to Sheepshead. I got an itch ta gamble again today."

He laughed. "You haven't won much in the past two weeks. Don't go blowin' all your dough or you won't be able to pay for your bed," he said grinning. "You ain't bummin' tonight, is ya?"

I glared at him. "Are you off ya trolley, Cowboy? I haven't bummed it since before da strike. And anyways, so what if i haven't won lately? Everyone has their rough months," I told him puffing on my cigar and looking annoyed at his observation about me losing.

He rolled his eyes and smirked at me before saying, "Have you heard? Apparently there is this new girl in Manhattan. She's a newsie."

I thought for a minute. _A girl newsie? I haven't seen one of those in years, and certainly not in Manhattan. _"Ya sure ya heard that right, Jack? I mean a girl newsie? They're harder ta come by than us fellas. I'm not sayin' ya wrong, I just ain't seen one in these parts before. Maybe in once in Brooklyn, but not here."

"Yeah, i'm sure I heard right. Don't know much about her though. Well, except that she's a girl."

I shook my head at his attempt to be funny. "Well, I got that much, bonehead. Ya know where she's sellin"?

"I've already told ya all I know about her. She'll probably be sellin' somewhere around here. I doubt she'll walk over to Midtown. Don't worry, Race, I dont think she's gonna try and steal your spot at Sheepshead either. You gotta be outta your mind to walk that far just to sell da mornin' paper."

I grinned and said, "I guess that's why I do it. I sell betta over there than on da streets."

I had just barely gotten the words outta my mouth before Specs grabbed us and pulled us outside. "Come on fellas, before the papes are all gone. You don't wanna have ta wait for da afternoon edition. Not as easy ta sell." Well, he did have a piont.

We all walked over to the distribution center, picked on Weasel, and bought our papes. We parted ways and I started on my journey to Sheepshead, my favorite place in the world. I didn't get very far, just a couple of blocks, before I saw what Jack was talkin' about. I guess he heard right. There was that girl.


	2. Who Does He Think He Is? Cocky

CHAPTER TWO

I picked up my papes and counted how many I had left. Eighteen. Not bad. I had fifty papes to begin with. I'd sold thirty-two in an hour. Not bad at all for my first day of workin' in a big city. I went to sell another when a voice called over to me.

"Whatta ya hear, Whatta ya say? So what Jack said was true. You are a girl newsie," said a boy grinning at me. "Looks like ya doin' decent. After a while you might get as good as me." He had a cocky grin on his face.

I gave him a look. "Thanks for tellin' me I'm a girl. I had no idea," I said with a mouth full of sarcasm. "And I don't know a Jack. Who the hell are you?"

He still had the cocky grin plastered on his face. "I'm Racetrack Higgins. Jack's my pal. He heard news that you were here. So, what do I call ya?" he asked.

"Gone," I said. I turned to walk away. _Who does this guy think he is anyway? He don't know me. What does he want?_

"What a name," he said sarcastically. "I'm bein' serious. What do I call ya?" he asked again.

"The names Flash. Flash Fuchs. But you can just call me Flash."

He stood there and thought for a while. "Fuchs? Ain't that German?"

I gave him a mocking clap and smiled. "Very good, Higgins. I'm part German, if my last name didn't clue ya in on dat fact."

He looked at me, studying me like I was a new species. "So which parent was German?"

"My pa. He was a German soldier when he met my ma. She was American. Lived here all her life."

He was still looking at me curiosty spread across his face. "Do ya wanna go ta Sheepshead with me after ya sell ya papers? I could show ya da roads. It'll make sellin' easier, knowin' da good spots."

I thought for a second. _Well at least that cocky grin is gone off his puss. Maybe I will go. Might help me out a lot more. A lot more than i'm willin' ta admit ta dis guy._ "Where is it?"

"Near Brooklyn. Half hour away. Where the horses run."

"Sure, why not? I gotta sell my papes first though."

"Sure, sure. I'll wait over here." He sat down on the cobblestone and watched with that grin right back on his mouth. Rolling my eyes, I started selling the rest of my papers. They were gone in ten minutes. I went over to Racetrack and helped him stand up.

"Okay, let's go," I said walking at his pace.

"Alright," he said to me smiling. "So where are ya from exactly?"

"The south. Franklin, Tennessee to be exact. I hitched rides in wagons to make it up here. I snuck onto a train once. To start a new life, ya know?"

"Yeah. That's what most people do. Where's ya family? They come with ya?" he asked me curiously.

I shook my head. "No. My parents died when I was young. I've been on my own since I was seven."

"Oh. How long ya been in New York?" he asked.

"Ya know, askin' too many questions can get ya into trouble," I told him grinning.

"So you're a highbrow hayseed, huh?" he asked me amused.

"Naw. Not a highbrow. I just know from years and years of experience with trouble and the likes. I just know what the hell i'm talkin' about."

"Hmm.. Fair enough."

"My turn to ask questions. So where are ya from?" I asked him.

We walked a little bit before he answered. "I'm from here. I'm Italian though. My parents got sick and died, so i've been workin' on my own," he answered.

Italian, huh? Nice. That's real nice. So where'd ya get the name Racetrack anyways?"

"I got it from practically livin' at Sheepshead. I go there when I ain't at Medda's or when I ain't playin' poker. I like da horses. Like my pop did."

"Guess the name fits ya then."

"My real name is Anthony."

I looked at him a little confused. "What?"

"My real name," he said, "is Anthony. Tony to my pop."

"That fits ya too. Betta than mine."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

We walked in silence for a bit. _He isn't so bad, i guess. We do have a lot in common. More than I thought we would. _I started to get tired after a while.

"How much farther?" I asked. "I'm dyin' here. I'd like ta know how old I'm gonna be when we finally get there."

He smiled, obviously amused by my comment. "You complain after a little walk to Sheepshead, then I can just imagine what you'll be like after a couple of days of sellin'. Just hold ya horses, we're almost there." We kept walking and he was smiling. I don't know why but soon, I was smiling too.


	3. Bummin' It Ain't Too Bad

CHAPTER THREE

"So Race, how was ya day at da track?" Jack asked me.

"Didn't win. Didn't lose either."

"Whatta ya mean?" he asked me, slightly confused.

"I didn't bet. Too busy showin' da new girl around."

Jack gave me a smug little smile. "So ya met her? What's she like? And what's her name?"

"She goes by Flash. She's a bit of a smartass though. Had no trouble sellin' her papes today," I told him gruffly.

"So she's just like ya," Jack laughed in amusement. "Alls she needs is ta be good at poker."

"She is," I said to him knowingly.

"Well aren't you the expert on this girl? What does she look like?"

I visualized her. Everything I could remember about it. "She has blonde hair and green eyes. And freckles. She's short too."

"You sound fond of Flash. Very fond of her." He was grinning like mad.

"It's not like that, Jack. We just have a lot in common, that's all. She likes ta joke around, and she's good at poker, surprisingly. She'd be great ta have around. A real good ally. A good friend too. Maybe."

Jack sat there in thought. "Yeah. Maybe. I want ta meet her tomorrow. Take her under our wing. She if she can handle herself, ya know? She could be useful ta us."

"Yeah, okay Jack."

"You seen Spot lately?"

"If by lately ya mean a couple of months ago, then sure. Why, have you?" I asked him wondering what his reasoning might be for asking.

Jack shook his head. "Naw. But I did hear he was havin' some trouble keepin' hold of Brooklyn. His grasp on the joint is startin' ta slip."

I took a drag of my cigar and took a look at the five cards in my hand. Full House. "No surprise to me. I figured they'd stop listenin' ta everything Spot said. It ain't a smart choice, but I knew it was gonna happen eventually," I said sighing and laying down my cards.

"He said somethin' about us helpin' him gain control again. At least, that's what Dutchy told me. He thinks there is somethin' more goin' on, but he don't know what it is."

"Well, what are we gonna do?" I asked, scraping the money toward me. The other guys quit playing because they weren't winning.

He sighed. "I don't know. If it gets any worse, we might have to step in."

"I slowly nodded and turned to look at him. "Well he did help us with the strike."

"Yeah... Yeah he did," he said staring at the wall. I could tell he was thinking so I told him I was gonna turn in for the night. "Night Race."

"Night Kelly," I said as I made my way to my bunk upstairs in the lodging house. I climbed into bed as quietly as I could. I layed there for ten minutes until I realized I couldn't fall asleep, so I got back up. There ain't much to do this late at night except roam the streets, so I opted for that. _Damn, it's cold out here. I wish I had wore my coat._

Roaming the streets at night ain't very appealing or very safe, so I turned around to go back. _To hell with this._

"Hey Higgins, where do ya think you're goin'?"

I turned around to find out who the voice was, but I found nobody there._ What the hell? Who would be tryin' ta talk ta me dis late at night?_

"You're really slow, Higgins." Laughter. "I'm up here genius."

I looked up and saw Flash on top of a building. She climbed down the side and walked up to me, rather casually, like she had all the time in the world. Like she would explode if she didn't take her time. She was grinning like someone just told her she had won a hundred bucks. Her face was a little dirty, but other than that, she looked the same as earlier.

"What are ya doin' awake this late Race? Ain't ya tired?" she asked me.

"I could ask you da same," I told her.

"You gonna answer the question or am I gonna have ta guess?" she said, lightly tapping me in the arm with her fist.

"Couldn't sleep."

"Me either. It's too cold out here." She walked toward and alley and called back over her shoulder, "You comin' or what ya bonehead?"

I ran up beside her and matched her pace. I looked at her and realized she was shorter than me. _Well now I don't feel so bad about my height._ We walked into the alley and sat down on the ground. It was deserted.

She layed her head up against the brick building and wrapped her arms around her knees. Her hands were red from the cold, but she didn't seem to notice.

"So what's new wit you, Race? Anything particularly interestin' happen afta we left Sheepshead?"

I glanced over at her. She was playing with a piece of hay, tying it into knots with her fingers. "Jack wants ta meet ya tomorrow."

She glanced back at me. "How riveting. But why? He gonna tell me I ain't got what it takes ta be a newsie? That girls don't belong on the streets unless they're whores tryin' ta sell their bodies? 'Cause if he is, then I have no interest in meetin' him whatsoeva."

"Nah. He's just curious, like I was. Everyones curious about ya. I mean, ya don't see many newsgirls walkin' around. At least none worth noticin'. None in many years. They just wanna see what you're like."

She eyed me with suspicion. "They? Whose they?"

"Oh you know. Kid Blink, Mush, Skittery. All my friends."

"Alright then."

My hands had started to turn slightly blue from the cold and I had started to shiver a little. Flash must have noticed, because she grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around us.

"Thanks," I said to her.

She smirked. "You ain't gotta thank me I did it 'cause I don't want you ta freeze ta death." She pushed me sideways and took out a cigarette. She took out a match and struck it on her nail, making it catch fire. She lit her cigarette, took a long drag, and passed it to me. I took it gingerly from her fingers and smoked it for a while. After a long silence she spoke.

"Ya know, bein' a newsgirl ain't so bad., I got a quarter today, just for bein' a girl. Not dat I like dat. I mean I do, but I don't want people ta pity me. I don't need ta be pitied because i'm a girl and i sell on da street. My job ain't so bad. The headlines suck though. 'Horse Goes Missing From Wealthy Man'? Who gives a damn about dat. They need ta talk about da violence around here. There's plenty ta write about."

"Yeah but those tightwads don't care about fights between us kids. We ain't nothin' but a buncha street rats ta them. They'd rather spend time countin' their money."

She nodded and scooted a little closer to me. She was really cold. I watched her lean her head against the wall again and close her eyes. I turned to look up at the moon and then back at her. Her lip twitched a little and I smiled and closed my eyes. Ya know, bummin' it ain't so bad after all.


	4. Oh Spare Me Da Trouble Of Dealin' Wit Ya

CHAPTER FOUR

I opened my eyes and looked up at the sky. It was still kinda dark outside. I sat up and almost jumped outta my skin before I realized it was just Race sleeping next to me. He was curled up and had his hat covering up his face. I glanced down and noticed I had been layin' my head on his arm. It had been quite comfortable actually. Can't really complain too much, 'cause it was better than sleepin' on the hard brick in the alley. His other hand lay inches away from mine, his fingers curled upward like he had a hold of somethin'. _Had we been holdin' hands? Not intentionally, I don't think._

Before I could make any more observations on how Racetrack slept, my stomach let out a harsh gurgling noise. I just now realized how hungry I was since I hadn't eaten last night. I figured Race would be hungry too when he woke up, so I went out and bought us some ale and bread. When I got back, he was sittin' up with his eyes closed.

"Poke up. Here, eat this," I ordered him, throwing him a hunk of bread.

"Thanks. I haven't slept outside in a long time. Now I know why," he told me, rubbing his neck.

"Yeah, well I can't really complain. I have ta sleep out here. I ain't got no place ta go. It ain't so bad once ya get used to it though. I've been doin' it for… well for as long as I can remember."

He thought for a second. "Maybe you can stay with us at the Newsboys Lodging House. I'm sure Kloppman wouldn't mind. Ya might hafta ask him first. You'd be the only girl though, obviously. It'd be a nice change, instead of hearin' the boys banter all da time."

"I don't know," I said uneasily. "It's called the News_boys _Lodging House for a reason. Ain't they got a Newsgirls Lodging House somewhere?" I asked him.

"Well, they did, 'til there weren't any girls ta stay there. They closed it down years ago. You could stay in other lodging houses, like the one for girl shoe shiners, but I don't think you'd like dat. You'd feel outta place, bein' a newsgirl and all," he answered.

I sat there thinkin'. "I guess it's worth me askin' him."

He nodded silently.

"You didn't hafta sleep out here last night. I wudda survived on my own. I ain't helpless, ya know."

"Didn't say ya were, did I? Besides, it was so cold, I couldn't have walked back ta da house without my legs fallin' off," he replied grumpily.

I smiled a little to myself. "You always this much of a smartass? Don't get me wrong, it's funny, but I just wanna be warned, for future reference."

He grinned at me. "Yeah. When I'm pissed I'm even more of a smartass. But ya don't wanna ever see me pissed. I'm a real bastard when that happens."

"Now that I can believe," I laughed. "You don't wanna ever see me mad either. It ain't a pretty sight."

He popped his fingers, glanced up at me, and said, "Yeah, well I have a feelin' I'll see ya mad sometime. Ya can't be a newsie without bein' mad at least two or three times a week."

I nodded. "I don't doubt dat."

He stood up and grabbed my hand to pull me to my feet. "We better get goin' if we're gonna meet Jack and the boys and still have time to sell our papes."

It was startin' to get lighter so I agreed with him and we walked over to the distribution center. There were a lot of boys already lined up, and they were talkin' pretty loudly. When I walked through the arch, it got dead silent and every head turned to look at me.

I stood there for a second, turned to Racetrack and said, "They act like they ain't seen a girl in their whole life. For Christ's sake, I ain't got no disease or nothin'." I walked past them and cut to the front of the line. _If they got a problem wit it, then they can say somethin'. At least they'd be talkin' ta me instead of lookin' at me like I'm an intruder. _But they didn't say anything. They just stood there and watched me walk on up to the fat guy that gave us the papes.

"Hey Mr. what's-his-face." I handed him two bits. "Gimme fifty papes."

He looked at me smugly and handed me fifty papers. "I see ya lasted the night. You're lucky. Won't be long before someone roughs ya up and ya won't be able ta take it. You'll be gone back ta wherever ya came from by next month."

"Is that right, what's-your-face?"

"Weisel," someone coughed. I turned to glare at the kid that did it. He smiled at me and I noticed he had a crutch. _He looks like a nice kid._ I let my glare slip off my face and turned back to the rude dimwit in front of me.

"Is that right, _Weasel_? What makes ya say dat? I did a damn good job of sellin' my papes yesterday, and I can do it again today, and for however long I feel like sellin'. I know how ta take care of myself. I don't need you or anyone else tellin' me if I can or can't make it in this city. So on dat note, I'll see ya tomorrow Weasel." I gave him a cocky grin, winked, and jumped down off the platform. I got about ten feet away from the window before the guys started talking again.

"Hey, Flash! Come here for a second," yelled a voice I didn't recognize.

Turning around, I saw a taller boy with a big stack of papers, about a hundred to a hundred and fifty, start walking toward Race.

"You gonna introduce us, Race?" he asked him.

"Sure, sure," said Race. He pointed at the boy and turned toward. "This is Jack. Jack, this is Flash."

"How ya doin'?" Jack asked me.

I looked at him, studying his face. He had brown hair that hung down a little past his ears. It was lighter than Race's, who's looked black compared to Jack's. He had a clean face and blue eyes that reminded me of the lake back in Franklin. He wasn't too bad to look at. Not really my type though.

"How do ya think I'm doin'? I spent the night outside in the cold, I'm aching, and I just had ta listen ta Weasel tell me dat I ain't got what it takes ta be a newsie. I'm great," I said sarcastically.

Looking at Racetrack, he grinned. "You were right. A smartass, but she's funny. And from da way she just talked ta Weasel, it sounds like she can handle herself."

I flashed him a sickly sweet smile. "I'm so glad ya noticed. I don't put up wit nobody's shit."

"Ah. Ya know where you're gonna sell today, Flash?" he asked me.

I quickly glanced at Race and then back to Jack. "I might try da harbor. I've heard the papes go fast over there."

He looked at Race and said, "We'll come wit ya. I've been meanin' ta go down ta da harbor. Ya mind?"

"What if I do, Jack?"

"Then I guess you're gonna hafta get over it," he said smiling.

"Fine… but don't expect me ta help ya sell ya papers," I said smugly to him.

He laughed. "I don't need no help. I'm the expert around here."

"Yeah, we'll see about dat Jackie."

Race started to walk away. "We gonna go or are we gonna sit around like a buncha knots on logs today?"

Jack and I both ran to catch up with him. Jack got ahead of us and Race and I kind of held back.

"So whadda ya think of Jack?" he asked me, taking out one of his cigars.

"He's alright. I like you better so far. You don't walk as fast," I grinned.

He grinned back at me. "I usually walk faster, but I ain't gonna let ya get lost."

"Hey. I can take care of myself. I wouldn't get lost."

"Don't wanna take any chances. You're almost one of us."

"Almost?"

He looked ahead to make sure Jack was outta earshot. "Jack sorta makes dat call. All the other guys listen ta him, ya know? Since da strike an' all."

"Oh. I wouldn't mind bein' accepted. Not dat I needs ta be, but it'd be betta than bein' alone."

"Yeah, I know."

Jack called out over his shoulder, "Hurry up you guys! It'll be doomsday 'fore we get there if ya walk any slower!"

We didn't say anything, but we sped up. Pretty soon we were at the harbor. Jack saw someone he knew and motioned for Racetrack to go with him. They walked up to a guy with a cane and engaged in what looked like a very serious discussion. Well I wasn't about to interrupt, so I just started selling my papers.

"'Corpse Found Dumped in Bottle Alley'! Front page!" I called out.

"I'll take a paper, Miss," said a man with a top hat. He handed me two quarters.

"Sir, it only costs a penny." I told him in awe.

"I know. You can keep the rest," he told me and smiled. Another lady walked up to buy a pape, gave me a dime, and told me to keep the change. All of my papers were gone before Jack and Race stopped talkin' to the fella with a cane. He didn't look old. Around my age. Fifteen or sixteen maybe?

Race looked over at me and whispered something to Jack who looked over at me too. I waved and started to walk back the way we had come. I walked a lot faster than I had when I was walking with Race, so I made it back faster too.

About a block away from the distribution center, I saw a sign: 'Newsboys Lodging House.' _This must be da place Race was talkin' about. Who was dat guy I had ta talk to? Kloppman? Yeah, that's who it was. Kloppman._

I walked into the lodging house and saw a man sitting at a desk. I stood there but he didn't look up. I cleared my throat to get his attention. He looked up and shuffled his papers.

"What can I do for you?"

"Uh, my friend Racetrack told me ta come here and ask if I can start stayin' here. Ya know, at night," I said nervously.

"Ah, Race. If he's tryin' ta help ya out, then you're in good hands. He knows what he's talkin' about."

"Yeah, I know. So whadda ya say Mr. Kloppman? Can I stay?" I asked him, almost begging, but not quite. I wouldn't lower myself down to begging ever, unless it was my last resort. I got more dignity than that.

He looked up at the ceiling, debating the question and answer. "Well, you'll hafta pay like the rest of 'em. And if ya wanna wash up, then ya might wanna do it before the others wake up. It's out in the open."

"I don't care. I'll do it." I replied back.

"Then you can stay here. I don't mind."

I gave him my best smile. "Thank You Mister."

He smiled back. "The boys are gonna have a field day with this one."

Still smiling, I said, "Yeah. Hopefully." I gave him a wave and walked outside to go get my stuff from the alley. _Ya know, this could be fun. Really fun. _I smiled mischievously.


	5. A Time To Share And Cuddle a Pillow

**Chapter 5**

"So, Spot thinks some guys are makin' their own Brooklyn division with the newsies and getting' others ta join? That's what I gathered outta da whole conversation," I asked Jack.

"Yeah. He figures that's why he ain't seen Bullman and Padlock around. Thinks they got somethin' ta do wit it, but he don't got no proof."

"I don't think he's gonna come right out an' ask for our help, Jack. He's got more pride than all the Manhattan newsies combined."

"I just wanna hear him say it. Da words 'I can't handle dis on my own' would be pure sweet music ta my ears. If he really wants our help, he'll get over his pride and ask." He paused and looked around. "Where'd Flash go?"

I looked around too. "I think she went back da way we came. Did ya see how fast her papes disappeared? Dey practically flew outta her hands."

"I know. I hate ta admit it, but I guess she's pretty good. You're right, we could use her. She seems able to hold her own."

"Yeah. I asked her if she wanted ta stay at da lodgin' house wit us instead of sleepin' outside."

He smiled at the thought and went to sell his last couple of papers. When he came back, he asked, "So what'd she have ta say about your… generous proposition?"

I shrugged. "She said she'd ask. That's all I know. Hey, maybe she could help us wit dis Spot thing. She could help… maybe?"

"Ya know, now dat I think about it, yeah, she could. I got some ideas," he told me smiling. "If he ever asks us."

"Yeah," I said. "Wanna go to Sheepshead? I'm bettin' this time."

"Nah. I'm gonna go to Medda's with Dutchy, Mush, and Blink. Have fun losin'." He grinned and winked at me.

"Yeah, yeah, sure. See ya later," I said to him_. That hot tip on the fourth better pull through…_

* * *

><p><em>It's colder tonight than it was last night.<em>

I shivered. I was still pretty peeved that I hadn't won anything. _Damn you Jack…._

It had started to turn dark, so I decided to go back to the lodging house with the boys. Walking in the door I heard the last bit of what Mush was saying.

"… and they lowered it back down. We beat it." He was smiling like a kid who had been told he could have all the candy in the world. He was sitting on the floor talking to Flash, who was on a bed. My bed. She was smiling too.

"That's great! Ya know, I remember readin' somethin' 'bout dat in da paper last year." She looked up thoughtfully. "That was pretty gutsy, what youse guys did."

Jack looked up and saw me standing in the doorway. "Race! Guess who is stayin' wit us from now on."

I smiled. "Good. At least I know ya won't get pneumonia from sleepin' out there. And I see ya still have all ya fingers. What about ya toes?" I asked her jokingly.

She looked back at me grinning. "I gots all those too. Were ya worried about me, Higgins? How sweet. Real touchin'. Ain't ya just a gentleman." She was staring at me, her mouth forming into a smirk.

I snorted. "Me? A gentleman? No one in their right mind could think dat."

She stuck her tongue out at me. "Yeah, well I never claimed to be in my right mind, now did I?"

I laughed. "No, ya didn't."

"Besides, I gotta be outta my mind ta be friends wit youse guys." She grinned even bigger.

"Hey. Watch it," Jack and I said at the same time. The guys laughed at our reaction.

Flash stood there for a second and then yelled out, "Dammit! I left my sack of money back in da alley around da corner! Imma go get it." She ran outside.

I made sure she was gone before I said anything. "Okay you guys, so whadda ya think of 'er?"

"I like her," said Mush. "She's funny and when ya talk ta her, she gives ya attention, like ya deserve it. But at da same time, she has a look on her face dat makes ya think she's on the verge of losing concentration. It makes ya wanna try and keep her attention, if dat makes any sense. And from some of da stories she's told us, she sounds tough. Right fellas?"

There was a chorus of 'yeahs' and 'uh-huhs' around the room.

"Yeah, I agree. She's one of da toughest girls I've met. Most girls look helpless, but she doesn't." That was from Kid Blink.

Snipeshooter was next to speak. "I think she's pretty."

Jack grinned and threw his hat at him. "She's too old for ya. You're young enough ta be her little brudder. What do da rest of ya think?"

All the guy agreed that they liked her and asked if she was gonna be one of us now.

Jack didn't waste any time with answering. "Yeah, she is. I like her too and she isn't like most other girls. Like ya said, she's different."

I looked around to see if she had gotten back. She hadn't. _How long did it take ta go around da corner an' grab a bag of money? _"You guys, I'm gonna go check on her."

I walked down to the alley hurriedly and saw her sitting on the ground.

"What are ya doin'?"

She looked up at me. "Thinkin'."

"Thinkin'? Why would ya do a stupid thing like dat?" I asked her, trying to lighten the mood. She just shook her head.

"Well come on, spit it out. What are ya thinkin' about?"

"My life. Before I came here," she said to me softly.

"What about it?" I asked her sitting down.

"It was terrible."

"Well, why?"

She shook her head again and stayed silent. She spoke after a while.

"Remember how I said my pa and ma died when I was young? Dat's because my pa killed my ma and da bulls killed him after dat. Right in front of me. I was seven. I had nowhere else ta go so… I was on my own most of da time." She paused and took in a shaky breath. She looked like she was about to cry, but she blinked and it went away. "My real name is Alba. Alba Grace. I got my nickname for bein' a real good flash-man. I'm no grafta, but ya do what ya gotta do ta look out for yaself. Dat's how I got here. Dat's my life," she ended quietly.

I gave her a half hug. It was pretty awkward, but it was a hug nonetheless. _I never give hugs. Ya goin' soft, Higgins…_ "It ain't your fault, Flash. None of dat was your fault. Ya just did what ya had ta do ta take care of yaself. I don't blame ya, so you should blame ya either."

She turned to look at me like I was dumb. "I never said I blamed myself. I know it wasn't my fault."

"Christ… I was just tryin' ta be comfortin'. Sorry," I grumbled and crossed my arms. She sighed and laid her head on my shoulder, making me uncross my arms. She poked my side making me jump. She laughed.

"Thanks for listening though, Race. I normally don't think about it much. I don't let my bad emotions show. Well, not most of 'em anyways. But bein' in there with youse guys is like bein' in there wit my family. A family I haven't had in a long time. I already think of all of youse as my family. I already feel like I belong."

I leaned my head against hers and traced patterns on the ground with my fingers.

"Ya do belong. And if it makes ya feel better, then all the guys like havin' ya around. You're… different. Ya know?"

She nodded and said, "Yeah. It's because I'm not a vulnerable little girl. I'm not a damsel in distress. I hate those types of girls. I try ta show dat ta people, but they look right past it. I guess youse guys can see it though."

I nodded and sat there for a while before standing up and saying, "Come on, we better go. They're gonna think we got lost."

And all that seriousness disappeared. She smiled. "We could never get lost with you leadin' da way; wit da way ya claim ta know this place." She winked at me.

I lightly punched her arm. "You're really sarcastic, ya know dat, right?"

Walking ahead of me she called back, "Yeah, I know. But da otha guys like it."

I caught up with her and asked jokingly, "And how do ya know dat, oh smart one?"

She shrugged. "I just do. They wouldn't have let me hang aroun' if they didn't."

I nodded. "True. They wouldn't."

She grinned. "Plus, ya already told me they like havin' me around."

Chuckling I said, "I could have lied to ya."

She shook her head. "But ya didn't. I wouldn't take ya for a liar, Race."

"Good, 'cause I'm not."

We walked all the way back to the lodging house only to find everyone in bed. _Kloppman musta said lights out early tonight._ We quietly crept in and got in the two beds that were open.

We laid there for a while before she whispered, "Race, you asleep yet?"

"No," I answered back. "Are you?"

She giggled a little and said, "No." She was quiet for a second. "Race, do ya ever wonder what your life would be like if ya weren't a newsie? If ya could just board a train and leave it all behind ya?"

I rolled over on my side to look at her. "All da time. But if I did hop a train and leave, where would I go? I couldn't leave these guys behind. I'd miss 'em too much."

She nodded. "I know what ya mean. Sorta. I had one person back home dat I didn't wanna leave. Her name was Anna Bellefskii. I tried ta get her ta come wit me, but she wanted ta stay there and find a husband. I think dat's just plain dumb. I guess we wanted different things. Very different things." She was quiet and I thought she fell asleep, but then she said, "I'm glad ta have met ya, Racetrack," and she rolled over to her other side, cuddling her pillow.

"I'm glad ta have met ya too, Flash," I said as I slowly drifted to sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>And so the friendship grows :D What could possibly happen next?<strong>

**Shoutout to E.G. Winston! Thanks sooooo much for your help and feedback! It helped me out TONS 3**


	6. Da King of Cockiness Himself

**Chapter Six**

Hitting the floor is not the way you wanna wake up in the morning. I looked around to see if I had woken anyone up when I fell outta the bed, but I hadn't. Picking myself up off the floor, I made my way to the wash basin. I pumped the water as quietly as I could and started washing. _Please please please don't let anyone come in._ Luckily no one did.

After I washed, I grabbed the clothes I had picked out and put them on. As soon as I pulled my shirt over my head, Kloppman was yelling for the boys to get up. _Good thing I'm dressed…_

I thought the boys would rush outta bed so they could get dressed and get their papes, but they all just laid there. I walked back in there and looked at them.

After about a minute of looking at all of them, I realized they weren't going to budge. _Alright, I guess we're gonna hafta do dis da hard way._ I clapped my hands and yelled at them. "Okay, get up you lazy bums! The presses are rollin'! Get up!" I pushed one of them off the bed and yanked the covers off of another.

Someone groaned, "What are ya, me mudder?"

"No, but you're damn well gonna listen ta me like I am. Now get up."

They all started climbing outta bed and I stepped out so they could get dressed. I walked outside and sat on the lodging house's steps. I could hear the boys yelling and carrying on. It got quiet and then there was a rumble of laughter. I rolled my eyes. _Only boys could find something to laugh at this early in the morning._

About ten minutes later, they all came marching outside. One of them kicked me in the back so I grabbed their leg and made them fall. Laughter. Soon, Jack came walking out the door and pulled me to my feet. Behind him were Crutchy, Racetrack, and Specs. Crutchy went to walk down the stairs, stumbled over his crutch, and fell. Lucky for him, I broke his fall. I, on the other hand, didn't feel so lucky.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! Are ya okay?" Crutchy asked me concerned.

I helped him up and brushed myself off. "It's okay. Don't worry 'bout it. Not your fault. I'm fine. Really, I am."

The other guys were laughing and I did an unfriendly hand gesture.

"Oh, ha-ha that is so funny," I said, my voice oozing with sarcasm. I walked past them and started going to the distribution center. The boys caught up with me and passed me in line. I pushed them outta the way and got back in my spot. I was almost to the front of the line. I was not about to let them pass me.

"So you're back. Fifty papes?" asked Weasel.

"Nah, I want a hundred."

He gave me a funny look. "A hundred? Ya sure ya gonna be able ta sell dat many? You're just a girl after all."

I glared at him. "Just give me da papes," I said with a voice as cold as ice.

"Yeah, just give her da papes," several guys said, including Jack and Race.

Weasel rolled his eyes and rubbed his prickly chin. He ran his hand through his scraggly hair, took my money, and got the papes. I snatched them from him and marched down the stairs, walking straight outta there. After a few minutes of debating, I decided to go to Coney Island.

* * *

><p>"Extra Extra! 'Fire of Inferno Catches the West Side'! Big Story!" I called out. Five more buyers. I sat down for a bit to rest.<p>

"Flash! Hey, Flash! We need ya!"

_Hey dat sounds like Jack._

"Come on Flash!"

_Racetrack._

I turned around to see those two both running toward me.

"Ya just had ta go ta Coney Island," Jack panted. "Ya coulda at least told us."

"I didn't know I had ta," I said to him questioningly.

"Ya don't," said Race, "But it woulda made findin' ya much easier."

"Sorry. What do ya need?"

Jack was still panting and gasping for air. "Our buddy Spot said he needs ta talk ta us. We think its got somethin' ta do wit a… situation he told us about. We think if he knew ya, he'd want ya there too. Ta help."

I looked down at my stack of papers. "I need ta sell my papes. I'm sorry, really I am. But I can't co-"

"Your papes can wait," he interrupted. "We need ya now."

I sighed. "Okay, fine. I'll go wit youse guys ta meet dis 'Spot' fella."

"Then come on, we ain't gots all day."

"Talk ta me like dat again, and I won't be goin' nowhere with you, Kelly," I warned him.

"Okay okay, sorry," he said as we started walking toward the Brooklyn Bridge.

"So tell me 'bout Spot you guys," I told both of them.

Race got a little closer to me so I could hear him better. "Spot Conlon runs the Brooklyn Division, ya know, da newsies. He's their leader. Most newsies get nervous around him 'cause of his temper. And he's real tough. He doesn't look like much, but he can pack a punch pretty good. You don't wanna get on Spot Conlon's bad side. Well, not unless you wanna live a miserable life."

"Ya scared of him guys?" I asked them. "Should I be worried?"

"Nah. Like Race said, ya don't wanna get on his bad side. We ain't on his bad side. If anything, he needs us. He probably don't like dat too much, but it's true. Spot's real big on his image and his pride. If ones damaged, so is da otha. We ain't gots nothing ta worry about."

"I wouldn't have been worried or scared anyways. Nothin' scares me," I said to them confidently. They exchanged glances. "What? What were those looks for?"

"Nothin' Flash. Anything else ya wanna know?" Jack asked me.

"Yeah. How old is dis 'Spot' guy?"

Race answered. "Fifteen. He don't act it though. He saunters around like he's a grown man, feared by everything, even his own shadow."

"I think youse guys is just bein' hot air artists. I'd bet all my dough dat he ain't nothin' ta be scared of."

"You'll see Flash. You'll see," Jack said wearily.

I didn't say anything, so we walked in silence the rest of the way there.

Brooklyn was nothing like Manhattan. Guys were running around shirtless and they were jumping off the docks. They were spitting, fighting, and cussing. They were talking about stuff that most girls don't wanna hear about. I even had to dodge a guy swinging chains around.

"Don't worry, dey won't hurt ya," Race told me.

"I ain't worried. They should be da ones worryin' 'cause if they hurt me, I'm gonna hurt 'em back."

He smiled a little bit and kept walking. I was looking around at everything and wasn't paying attention. I ran right into Race, who had abruptly stopped walking.

"Dammit, I'm sorry," I whispered to him.

He waved it away and gave me a slight smile. I looked to see why we stopped.

Standing in front of us was the guy with the cane. I could see what he looked like now. He was a couple of inches taller than me, but not much. He had medium length brownish hair, grayish blue eyes and a frown on his face. He'd look better if he'd smile.

"Heya Jackie Boy. Heya Race. How youse guys doin'?" He spit in his hand and held it out. Jack and Race did the same thing and they shook. "Glad youse could come on such short notice. So da situation ain't changed much. Bullman still ain't showed his face around here. Da number of boys I have left is dwindlin', and it's dwindlin' quick. I don't know what's goin' on. I still can't find their hideout, even with my little birdies. " He turned away from Jack and finally noticed me.

He gave me a once over and looked at Jack. "Why'd ya bring her? Like she could be much use." He turned to look at me again. "You're a girl. What could ya possibly do dat would be worth me lettin' ya in on dis?"

I glared at him, already hating his attitude. "I could do plenty. I already got a plan ta help ya, but if ya don't think I'd be much help then I can just be on my way. Take your pick."

"Who are ya anyways?" he asked me.

"Oh don't tell me ya haven't heard about me yet. Almost everyone has. I'm a newsie? I sell in Manhattan wit da boys," I told him; talking to him slowly like he was a little kid.

"I know dat much. I'm not an idiot. Do I gotta spell out what I want? I wanna know ya name. Do ya know what a name is? I mean, ya are a girl after all. Your kind don't know much," he said mockingly, smirking at me the whole time.

I clenched my hands by my sides. If I didn't, I knew I would end up slugging this guy. _Who does he think he is? Does he know who he's dealin' wit?_ I took a breath, trying to steady it. "Coulda fooled me. My name is Flash. And I'm guessin' you're Spot? I've heard wonderful things 'bout ya," I said to him with a note of sarcasm in my voice.

He ignored my last comment. "Yeah, I'm Spot. Spot Conlon. Leader of Brooklyn." He rolled his shoulders back and lifted his chin. He had the cockiest smile on his face. I wanted to make that disappear.

"Well good for you. But ya don't look like da leader type. You're too lanky."

The smile slipped off his face, replaced by a mincing frown. _Bingo._ "Do ya know who you're dealin' with, lady?" he asked me, trying to sound intimidating.

"Funny. I was about ta ask ya da same thing, Conlon," I said to him, equally as intimidating. We had both stepped forward, and now our faces were dangerously close, our eyes boring into each other.

"Can youse guys just quit long enough for Flash ta tell us da plan? I'd really like ta get outta here and back ta Manhattan," Race said impatiently.

We stepped back at the same time, not dropping our glares.

"Okay. Do da people here know dat I sell in Manhattan?" I asked Spot.

"No. They know you exist, but they don't know where ya sell. Why?" He was still looking at me like he was trying to get me to burst into flames.

"Well, maybe I can pretend ta sell here. Since they don't know I'm friends wit da Manhattan boys, they might let me join their little… hate group. If they know I'm friends wit Jack, they might not let me be a part of it, since you and Jack got a friendship goin' on. I could collect information. It's not like they'd suspect…" I stopped talking and let that sink in.

"I hate ta admit it, but dat ain't a bad idea. Maybe you aren't completely stupid after all," Spot said to me. "If what I think is goin' on, then they'd be more than happy ta have ya on their side. They'd have somethin' no one else has. No one expects a girl not to be innocent. This might actually be worth tryin'. You could be a snitcher," he said with a not so innocent grin on his face.

"Whoa whoa whoa, not a snitcher. An informant. Snitcher just sounds bad. Now informant, dat sounds professional," I told them, half-grinning.

Racetrack shook his head and spoke. "Do ya know how dangerous dis is? If dey find out you're workin' for Spot, they'll soak ya, girl or not."

"I'm not 'workin' for Spot', I'm helpin' a… friend. Right, Spot?" I said sweetly.

"Yeah… friend," he said gruffly.

"They could hurt 'cha, Flash," Race told me exasperated.

"Racetrack Higgins, I can do this! I can take care of myself! You think I'm just gonna let 'em hurt me without doin' somethin' about it?"

"No, but-"

Jack interrupted him. "Race, she's right. We can't try ta keep her protected. If she says she can handle dis, she can handle it. Let her do dis."

He stood there for a while, unmoving. Finally he said, "Fine. I guess you're right. Just be careful."

Spot was grinning again. "Now dat we got dat settled, we need a plan. How 'bout ya stay in Brooklyn for da night. Go out in da mornin' and start sellin' papes. You're bound ta have someone come up and try ta get ya to go with 'em once they see you're da person everyone has been talkin' 'bout. Then ya just go wit 'em."

Jack was the one to object this time. "Whoa Spot, she can't stay in Brooklyn. She don't know nobody."

Spot rolled his eyes. "She knows me Jackie Boy."

"So where will she stay?"

"In Brooklyn. We already went over dat," Spot said snickering.

"I got dat. I meant where at in Brooklyn?"

He got out his cane and rolled his shoulders back. _He does dat a lot._ "She can stay wit me. I'll make sure nothin' happens ta her."

"What makes ya think I wanna stay wit you? Right now, I'd much rather eat a whole pile of Mush's sweaty shirts than stay wit you. And what is with me needin' protection all da time?" I asked them angrily.

"Ya don't always need protection. But somethin' could very easily happen to ya on da streets. You have no choice but ta stay with Spot," Jack told me, almost like it was an order.

"No one orders me around," I grumbled softly. "Fine, I'll stay wit ya Spot, but if anything happens to me, I'll be da one ta take care of it."

Spot nodded. "Dat's fair. Whadda ya say Jackie Boy?"

He nodded in agreement. "Just do like Racetrack said. Be careful. Extremely careful, Flash. I mean it."

"Sure sure," I said. "I will."

"Alright, well we gotta go. We gotta be back before Kloppman sells our beds ta someone else. It's a long walk back. We'll see ya tomorrow night," Racetrack said to me as him and Jack left the alley where we had met Spot, leaving me standing there with the king of cockiness himself.

"Okay lady, we gotta keep you outta sight so the guys don't know dat you knows me. Come on."

"Gosh, you're a demanding little sucker, aren't 'cha? And I'd like it if ya called me by my name, not 'lady'. I'm more than just a lady. I'm the lady," I said to him.

We walked out of the alley, around a corner, and out past a different building. Walking past the building, we went out to a lone dock.

"We'll stay here tonight. No one ever comes here other than me. It's my territory."

I nodded. "Okay. You gotta go back now, don't 'cha?"

"Yeah, I do. I'll be back when it starts ta get dark."

"Alright. See ya later, Leader of Brooklyn," I said mocking him.

"Yeah yeah, see ya later pain in my ass," he said and sauntered down the dock and outta sight.

* * *

><p>I jumped down onto the dock with a bottle of ale and some sausage in my hands. Flash turned to look at me.<p>

"Heya Spot. Whatcha got there?" she asked me.

"I figured you'd be hungry so I brought us somethin' ta eat. You may be mouthy, but I still gotta take care of you."

She frowned. "I can take care of myself," but she still took the food I offered her. "Thanks, I guess. I was actually gettin' sorta thirsty," she said taking a hearty swig of the ale. I sat down and she passed the bottle to me. "So how long have ya known Jack and all of 'em?"

"We go way back, da boys and me. Way back."

"Ah. Wish I could say da same," she said, taking the bottle back. She took a couple of big gulps from it before she spoke again. "I can't though."

"Yeah but you act like it."

She looked at me confused. "What do ya mean?"

I shrugged. "Da way youse guys act together makes it seem like you've known 'em forever. Da way they're protective over ya. It's like they're your brudders."

She smiled a little bit. A genuine smile, not a sarcastic smirk or anything. "Yeah, I guess you could say dat. Hey, Spot?"

"Yeah?" I turned to look at her, and I noticed her eyes were green.

"Sorry for bein' so rude to ya earlier. I just don't like people usin' the whole 'you're just a girl' excuse against me. It really pisses me off."

I smirked. _This was too easy. All I had ta do was bring her some food and ale and I get an apology? Maybe it's just the ale workin' its magic._ "I forgive ya dis time. Just don't mess up again."

She looked at me and shook her head. "You're so cocky. What makes ya like dat?"

"I was born dat way. I would say I learned it from my pop, but I didn't. I'm just like dat."

She sighed. "And how long do I gotta stay wit ya? Hopefully not a second longer than I hafta."

"Watch it, Flash. You'll ruin da perfectly good apology ya already gave me."

"Yeah, well I learned my lesson. I ain't givin' ya no more apologies."

She went to grab the bottle again, but she gripped it too hard. It shattered in her hand.

"Dammit! I cut myself." She held up her hand and looked at the crimson liquid oozing from it. "I might have had more ta drink then I thought."

I scooted over to her and grabbed her hand gently. "Hold still, lemme see." Examining it, I started to pull little bits of glass from it.

"Ow ow ow! Be careful," she said wincing. "Dat hurts."

"I know. Ya think I ain't ever had glass in my hand before? I know it hurts."

She was glaring at me again. She does that a lot.

"Sorry," I mumbled.

She smiled, apparently satisfied with that.

I took a piece of cloth from my pocket and slowly wrapped her hand up.

She smiled at me. "Hey, thanks. That helped. At least now I won't be bleedin' all over da place."

I still had a hold of her hand. She must have noticed because she squeezed my fingers that were still in her palm.

I pulled my hand away, murmured a quick sorry, and looked around. I heard her clear her throat and I looked back at her.

She was looking at me funny. "It's okay, Spot."

A few minutes went by and we sat there in silence. After a while she glanced up at me and grinned.

"Ya know, da cloth isn't as tight as it should be, but I don't see no blood drippin' out from under it. Maybe it stopped bleedin'. Can ya check it?"

I grinned back at her. _Smooth, Flash. Real smooth._ "Sure." I took her hand and gently pulled off the cloth. It had stopped bleeding. "Hmm… it looks good."

"Great." Her fingers lingered against mine for a second, but she pulled her hand back and put it in her lap. She looked back at me then back down.

I looked at her. Really looked at her. Her eyes reminded me of pond water; not in a bad way. And her hair was so light, it was almost white. It hung down a little past her shoulders. She was tan, like most of us guys, and it made her freckles stand out. Her mouth was heart-shaped. I didn't notice I was staring at her lips until she threw a piece of sausage at me.

"Hey bonehead, ya gonna answer me? I asked if ya had any blankets."

"Oh, yeah. I only have one though, so we'll hafta share." I side-glanced at her, waiting to see what reaction she'd give me.

She just shrugged. "Alright, sounds good ta me." She grabbed the blanket I had gotten out and threw it over us. She lay down and closed her eyes. _Okay, not the reaction I was expectin'. A punch to da kisser woulda went along more wit what I was expectin'._

She wasn't laying there for long before she started shivering and her teeth started chattering. She opened one eye and looked up at me. "I'm cold. Help me."

I laid down beside her and cautiously put my arm around her. "Dat any better?"

She slowly nodded, kind of awkwardly. "Yeah, thanks. Ya know, you don't act tough like Racetrack said."

"Yes I do. I just have a soft spot for mouthy girls. Girls who are as mouthy as me. They make me wanna be friends wit 'em."

"You wanna be friends with me?"

"Yeah. Dat so hard ta believe?" I questioned her.

"I don't know. Maybe," she said, shifting under my arm. "You were a jerk ta me today. I don't know," she said again. "I don't know ya well enough."

She was still shivering, so I pulled her a little closer to me without her really taking notice. "Ya will soon enough. I'm not too hard ta understand."

"Yeah, but you can say dat 'cause you're you. You don't know if you're hard ta understand because you've always understood yaself."

I thought for a second. "I guess you're right, maybe. Ya gonna stick around long enough ta find out?" I asked her, annoyed at how hopeful my voice sounded. It didn't sound like me at all. _Pull yaself together Spot. What has gotten into ya?_

She laughed, and for a second I thought she could hear my thoughts. "You can't get rid of me dat fast, Conlon. Nice try though."

I shook my head. "I'm not tryna get rid of ya. I'm just curious. I haven't really let any one girl stick around for long."

"Really? I can't see why. Ya ain't too bad. Well… sorta," she said sleepily.

I lay there thinking. "Hey, Flash?" Silence. "Flash?"

She yawned. "Yeah, Spot?" she muttered.

"You gonna stay here again tomorrow?" I asked her. No answer. "Flash, did ya hear me?"

She muttered something I didn't understand.

"What?"

"I said of course I heard ya. I ain't deaf. And maybe. If ya want me to."

"I do," I answered her.

"Okay then, I will," she said quietly.

I smiled. _I still gots it. Girls still listen ta me._ "Okay. Night Flash."

"Night Buddy."

_Buddy? Of course..._


	7. What the? Confusion much? Geez

**Chapter Seven**

"Okay, so ya just sell 'em. They'll do da rest."

"Yeah, I know Spot," I said to him. "I'll see ya later. If ya see one of da boys from Manhattan, tell 'em I won't be back tonight."

"Okay, I will." He hesitated a minute. "Be careful."

"Yeah, sure. Bye," I said to him, walking down the road.

* * *

><p><em>Are ya kiddin' me? I've been here for two hours and no one has come up ta me, other than buyers. I'm gonna soak Spot good for dis one.<em>

Just then I saw this big guy with an earring in his ear start walking toward me. _Guess I thought too soon._

"Hey! Who are you?" big guy asked me.

"Ya outta know who I am. Everyone does. I'm Flash."

He looked me up and down like Spot had. "Yeah, I heard of ya. Only girl newsie for miles." He took off his hat and did a small bend, that I think was supposed to be a bow. "My name is Lawrence, but everyone calls me Shifty."

I couldn't help but laugh. "Lawrence? No wonder ya changed it. Your mudder had ta have really hated ya ta give ya a name like dat."

He set his jaw and for a second I thought he was gonna hit me right then and there. But his jaw relaxed and he said, "Yeah, you're one of us. Come on, follow me." _Jackpot!_

We walked a couple of blocks, ducked into a couple of alleys (of course), and ended up at an old factory. Shifty knocked in a certain code and the door opened up. He motioned for me to follow him in, so I did. They shut the door as soon as I stepped in; I could feel the wind blow from it. _They must be pretty damn serious._

"Ya find somebody?" asked a voice. "Or did ya come back empty handed?"

"No Boss, I got someone," Shifty said nervously. We walked a little farther into the factory and I saw a guy sitting at a desk. _He must be da voice._ He wasn't too big. A little bigger than Spot, but not by much. He had black hair that he slicked back and really dark brown eyes, so dark they were almost black. He completely ruined the tough guy vibe when he saw who I was and started laughing.

"Ya brought me a girl? Are ya mad, Shift? I mean, she's a girl."

Boy did I wanna tell that fella off, but I didn't wanna screw up the chance to get some information, so I bit my tongue.

"But boss, she's not just a girl, she's the girl. She's the smart mouth newsie."

"Mr. Boss Jailbird, sir, he's right. She's more den what she looks," said another guy.

The "Boss" looked at the guy with an angry look on his face. "I told you not to use my name! It's Boss to you, Padlock."

Padlock looked down. "Yes sir, Mr. Boss sir."

_Who the hell does this guy think he is? Orderin' people like they ain't got no brains ta think for 'emselves. Boss? Really? No. His real name was Jailbird. I bet I could guess why. _

He got a serious look on his face again. "So you're Flash? I've heard a lot about ya."

"Dat's good ta hear. Means I ain't gotta explain nothin'. So cut to da point, whadda ya want?"

"You're a walkin' mouth, but I like hows ya think. Okay, so ya ever heard of Spot Conlon or anybody in the Manhattan division?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I've heard of Spot. What about 'im?"

"Well he runs the Brooklyn division, but not for long if I can help it. If I have it my way, I'll be runnin' Brooklyn, Manhattan, and all da rest'a New York. Spot's been leader for far too long. It's my turn. And if any one tries ta step in my way and help Spot, I'll fix 'em so dey can't breathe. Dat goes for Manhattan and whoever else too."

_The hell ya will, bird brain. You ain't touchin' none of my friends. Or should I say family. And you aren't touchin' Spot. There must be nobody home if ya think dat. _

"Okay, so whadda ya need me for?"

"You're pretty smart, you figure it out," he said as he leaned back in his chair and chewed on his cigar. That reminded me of Racetrack. _I wonder what he's doin' right now…_

I thought for a minute and said carefully, "Ya want me ta bring in more recruits. And help take down Spot and da othas. But ya want it all kept a secret. Can't risk lettin' everyone in all of New York know, 'cause it could get back ta Spot."

He grinned an evil grin. "Exactly. Ya ain't as dumb as ya look lady. So whadda ya say? You in or what?"

"Yeah, I'm in."

"Great. Better drop in. Ya know, in a coupla days. Bullman, show her out."

This little lanky guy took me by the arm to the door and said,"Don't you be tellin' everybody. We'll find out if ya do." He let me out and shut the door quickly. I found my way back to the corner where I had been selling and ran back to the dock. Spot wasn't there.

_He better hurry up and get back here. I got so much ta tell him._

* * *

><p>"… and they're plannin' on takin' you and da boys down," I finished telling Spot.<p>

"Dammit! I knew Jailbird was a no good rotten son-of-a-gun."

"I am not about ta let 'em hurt Racetrack or Jack, or da otha guys. Spot," I said, "I'm not gonna let 'em hurt you."

He looked at me. He didn't have his hat on, so his hair was in his eyes. I wanted to move it, but I didn't. He had his mouth in a hard line. His mouth. I couldn't stop looking at it. I wish he'd smile._ Wait a hot minute, what am I thinkin'? No, ya can't think of Spot dat way. He's ya business partner and ya don't know him dat well. What is wrong wiff you, Flash?_

"Flash, ya can't do it by yourself. I don't expect you to. If they find out you're on my side, you're as good as dead. They'll soak ya without battin' an eye."

"Spot, I'm doin' this whether ya like it or not. I don't want 'em hurtin' my family. And I don't want 'em hurtin' you. You're too-"

He nudged me and grinned. Now I couldn't stop string at him. "I'm too what?"

_Snap outta it Alba Grace. Stop it. Ya barely know him. Pull yaself together!_

"You're too important for me ta let anything happen to ya. I haven't known ya for long but I really-"

His lips crushed into mine, kissing me slowly and then building up speed. I was still shocked, so I wasn't really moving.

He pulled away and whispered, "Come on Flash, you can do betta den dat, can't ya?"

I grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer so his mouth was a half an inch away from mine.

"Hell yeah, I can do betta than dat." And then I was kissing him, starting slow and tender, and then faster, kissing him hard enough to bruise. He kissed me eagerly and quick, like he didn't have much time. His tongue grazed my lips, waiting for an invitation. I gave him one. I lightly bit his lip and sucked on it. He made a little moaning noise, so I knew I was on the right track. He pulled away and started kissing my cheek over to my ear and bit it.

* * *

><p>She made a gasping noise and pulled me as close as she could. I moved down to her neck and sucked on her skin, leaving a couple of reddish purple marks on it. I bit it lightly and swirled my tongue around, making her grip on my shirt tighter. She let go and started exploring my back with her hands, kissing me again. I ran my fingertips along the inside of her thighs and our kissing slowed down to the slow and tender kind again. We pulled away, but didn't let go of each other.<p>

_I still got it. She gave as good as she got. She kissed me just as eagerly as da other broads. _I smiled to myself. _Compulsive, but nice all da same._

She was staring at me, then out of the blue she said, "What in da HELL was dat?"

"Wait… what?"

"Where in God's name did ya learn all of dat?"

I grinned. "Experience. What about you?"

"Same, but I didn't expect to find someone who had as much experience as me."

"Yeah, well when ya live in New York, ya meet people and ya do things. I bet half da guys here can kiss like dat," I told her..

She pressed her lips hard against mine again and kissed me for a minute. When she pulled away, both of us we flushed and breathing heavy.

"Damn," she said trying to control her breathing.

"You're pretty good."

She grinned real big. "You ain't so bad yaself, Conlon."

I gave her a half smile. "Hey lemme see ya hand."

She held out her hand and I took it, studying her palm where she had cut it. "Hmm, it's healin' up pretty good. Don't look so bad."

"I coulda told ya dat," she said to me with a hint of teasing in her voice. "You ain't gotta be a super genius ta figure dat out."

I let go of her hand and let it fall. It landed on my knee, but she didn't move it. "Well," I said defensively, "I was just makin' sure."

"I know, I was just teasin' ya."

It was getting pretty late, so I told her good night and lay down on the dock.

* * *

><p>My eyes opened and I was looking at the dark sky. I rolled over and saw Flash curled up in a ball with her back to me, sleeping. She had a piece of paper in her hand, and curiosity got the better of me. I grabbed the paper gently from her hand and started reading it. It took me a minute to realize that it was a letter to her friend. <em>I shouldn't read this.<em> But I saw my name, and from then on, there was no turning back.

* * *

><p>October 16th, 1900<p>

Dear Anna Bellefskii,

This sucks. My mind has completely gone on an extended vacation. I can't think straight. Remember that Spot guy I wrote about? He kissed me today. Not just a peck, but a real kiss. He kissed me like he had something to prove. The thing about this kiss though, was that I could feel the eagerness in his mouth. I've never felt that before. I really liked it, but at the same time, I didn't. Not when all I could think about was Racetrack. I know that's wrong, but I know Race better than Spot. He actually knows me and understands me. We share a lot in common. I mean, maybe if I knew more about Spot, things would be different. But maybe I'm better off with Spot, ya know? At least I know he has mutual feelings for me. Race… well I think he thinks of me like a little sister. He is two years older than me. Hell, he probably don't feel the same way I do. I like him and Spot, but I can't have them both. Maybe I'll just stick with Spot. I'm better off that way.

Love,

Alba Grace/Flash

* * *

><p>I sat down in a huff. "She ain't here tonight either?" I asked Jack grumpily.<p>

"No Racetrack, she's not."

I slammed my hand down on the table making our money go everywhere and causing the other guys to jump.

Jack gave them a look and they nodded, got up, and left the room. "Alright, whattsa matta, Race? Why are you so mad?"

I glared at the floor and crossed my arms. "What makes ya think something's wrong?"

He pretended to think about it, and then answered. "'Cause you're glarin' at da floor like it just said somethin' 'bout ya mudder. Now tell me what's wrong."

I let my hard expression fall off and then sighed. "I'm worried about 'er. I don't want her getting' hurt, and I think she'd be safer here wit us."

He looked at me suspiciously. "Is dat all? Tell me da truth, Race. Is dat all dat's botherin' ya?"

I slowly shook my head no.

"Okay den, tell me da rest of it," he demanded.

I shook my head no again.

"Okay, play me for it den. If I win dis game of poker, you gotta tell me. If you win, I'll drop it. Deal?"

I smiled smugly, because I'm the best poker player around. I hardly ever lose.

"Sure Kelly, Sure. Deal."

Jack grinned and started the game. He beat me in five minutes.

"No fair, ya cheater!"

He smiled back at me. "I didn't say if I won without cheating, just if I won. So spill it, what's eatin' up your nerves."

I sighed a big dramatic sigh to show him how unhappy I was about this. "Fine," I said crossing my arms again and leaning back in my chair. "I kind of like her. Not da Susan Gahervawhitts kind of like."

He looked at me for a second and said, "ya mean more like da Jeanette Cohen kind of like, or da Marcy Macdonald kind?"

"Da Marcy Macdonald kind."

He gave a low whistle. "Damn."

Marcy Macdonald had been the only girl I thought I was in love with in my whole life when I was fifteen and a half. I thought she loved me too until she ran off and got pregnant with another man's kid. After that, I swore I'd never love anyone the way I had loved Marcy.

I nodded slowly. "Yeah. I know dat sounds stupid, 'cause I haven't known her long, but I can't help it, Jack. Like ya said, she's different."

"Wait, so you're sayin' you love her?" he asked me in disbelief.

"No. I just really like her. But I don't know how ta tell her."

"Just come right out and say it to her. Get 'er alone first, so ya make sure ya have her full attention. Den before she can say anything to ya, ya grab 'er, and plant one on her."

I shook my head. "No, dat's no good. She probably don't feel da same way. Besides, if I do dat, I might get punched in da stomach, and I don't need dat. I just won't tell 'er. I'm better off doin' dat and savin' myself from another Marcy Macdonald."

He shrugged. "Okay Race. Your call."

I nodded slowly as he walked upstairs. "Yeah," I said to myself. "My call."

* * *

><p>"Well I ain't gotta go back today, so I was thinkin' about stayin' down in Manhattan tonight," I told Spot.<p>

"Ta see Racetrack?" he asked me.

"Nah, I wanna see 'em all. I miss 'em." Lie. I mean, I did miss them, but I really wanted to see Race."I gotta go send this letter to my friend Anna though."

"Oh… Okay den. I guess I'll see ya later then?" he said to me.

Oh, yeah. Yeah. Definitely. See ya later, Spot."

"Bye." He left the dock and turned the corner. _Wow… what's wrong wit him?_

I took out my letter and read it over one more time. _Damn. Hopefully she can give me some of her good advice._

I walked to the post place, gave them the letter, and went back outside.

"Well why dontcha just shut dat trap o' yours and leave da kid alone?" I heard as I walked out. The boy that said it was shorter than me. He looked about eleven or twelve with big grey eyes and messy wheat-colored hair. He had freckles and he was pale. He was flanked by four other buys.

"Yeah, shove off. He didn't do nothin'!" I recognized that voice. It was Snipeshooter.

"Yes he did," a big guy growled. "He looked at me. Ain't got no right to."

"He can do whatever he wants. You ain't his boss!" yelled one of the other flanks. He had a twin who was standing next to his. They looked exactly alike. They had red hair and muddy brown eyes. They were pale too, and short. They were around ten maybe? They reminded me of my cousin Kaylynn…

The last flank finally spoke. He had black hair that covered his ears and blue eyes. He was the shortest of them all. "I didn't do nothin'! You wanna go? If you're half as stupid as ya look, I'm surprised you can even speak!"

"I'm gonna soak ya kid!" He lunged at the black haired boy and punched him in the stomach. Hard. That was all I was about to let happen.

I tapped the guy on the shoulder and when he turned around I smiled and slugged him in the jaw. He stumbled back and looked at me like he couldn't believe I did that.

"I ain't above soakin' a girl." He punched me in the arm. It caught me off guard and I stumbled sideways. I ain't gonna lie, it hurt. A lot.

The black haired boy was still hunched over clutching his stomach and the others were standing there with their mouths hanging open. The ass that hit me stood there smiling like someone told him he was the king of all mankind. _Cocky bastard…_

I took this fortunate chance to knee him in the family jewels. He doubled over in agony, so I grabbed him by the hair and punched him in the face over and over again. He stood back up and socked me in the mouth. He had a great left hook. I could taste the blood before I felt the pain. _Okay, two can play at this game._

I lunged at him, knocking him to the ground. Sitting on him, I began punching him in the nose repeatedly. I then grabbed him by the ears and slammed his head against the cobblestone road. Soon, all five of the guys were yanking me off and holding me back. "Forget ya. Ya ain't worth it," said the boy, getting up off the ground. He hobbled away, leaving a bloody trail in his wake.

"Whoa! Wait til I tell da guys what happened!" yelled Snipeshooter. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good," I said wiggling my jaw.

The black haired boy ran up and hugged me. "Thank You lady. My name's Squawk."

"Yeah, because ya never shut up," one of the twins said grinning. "I'm Pip and that's Squeak," he said pointing at himself and then his brother.

"And I'm Whiplash. You can call me Whip," said the tallest of them with the wheat colored hair. He spit in his hand and held it out. I spit and we shook.

"I'm Flash. I'd love ta stay and chat, but I really gotta go. You're welcome kid. Snipe, come wit me." I was bleeding pretty bad, and I just wanted to wash it off.

"Bye fellas, see ya later," Snipe said and he began to follow me. "I didn't know you could fight like dat!"

I shrugged. "Yeah, well I learned from da best, didn't I?"

He gave me a questioning look.

"My fadder. He taught me everything I know."

Snipe was quiet so I just left it at that, as we walked to the lodging house. There was noise and voices coming from inside. _The boys must have finished up early. Great. Just what I need right now._

We walked inside and I hesitated at the bottom of the stairs. I decided to go up, taking my chances. I was outside the door when I heard the end of Snipeshooter's recap to the rest of them. "…and then he got up and left, bleedin' all over da place." I rolled my eyes and walked through the door.

"Whoa! Flash! You're bleedin'," Jack said.

"Oh, really? So that's what I keep spittin' out. Gee, thanks for tellin' me." I guess blood wasn't the only thing I was spitting out. I was spitting out sarcasm too.

I walked back to the basin and pumped water. Race came in there with a towel and got the others to go away.

"Here, lemme help ya," he said wetting the towel. He gently started wiping my mouth, starting at the sides. "So ya gonna tell me why and how dis happened?" he stopped cleaning my mouth off long enough for me to tell him the whole story. When I was finished he said, "From what Snipe said, you were pretty good. But why'd ya get in da middle of it? You were bound to know you were gonna get hurt."

I shrugged. "Squawk reminded me of my little brudda. I couldn't watch him get hurt. I just couldn't."

"You have a brudda?" Race asked.

"Yeah. Well, I did, til he was taken away from me and put into a home. I've tried findin' him, but I can't. His name is Joseph, but I called him Trooper."

"Trooper? Why Trooper?"

He had stopped cleaning my face. I looked at him and shook my head. "Come on Flash. You can trust me," Race said softly.

_Can I? I know I can, but I ain't sure if I should. Da only otha person I ever told was Anna and it took two years ta do dat. I had only known him for a week or two, but he had earned my trust dat quickly. Dat's odd… I'm normally very cautious wit my trust... I always put my trust into da wrong people. But Race isn't one of those wrong people. He's Race._

I looked him in the eyes. They were a nice deep brown. I never noticed that. I looked down at the floor and slowly nodded in agreement.

"Well my fadder was an alcoholic, so he drank all da time. He had ta take out his drunken anger on somethin'. Dat somethin' was mostly my ma, but he wasn't afraid ta get us when she wasn't around. Long story short, he got da name Trooper 'cause he just took it, no questions asked. Dat saved his skin a lot. I wasn't so lucky, because I didn't just let it happen without doin' somethin' about it. In a way, da abuse strengthened us, more than anyone could ever understand." I finished and looked at my arm where the boy punched me. A purple and black bruise had started to bloom on my skin.

Race grabbed my face tenderly, turned it so I was looking at him, and started cleaning my mouth again. After a long silence, he cleared his throat and spoke. "Hey thanks for tellin' me. I know dat wasn't easy."

I shrugged but instantly regretted it. Pain shot through my arm and I felt myself wince. Racetrack finished cleaning my mouth off and put the towel down. He gestured toward my arm and I nodded. He picked it up and carefully moved it so he could see the bruise. He touched it lightly, letting his fingers move across it smoothly. My heart started beating faster than normal.

_Dammit Racetrack, stop it. Stop doin' dat right now._

He pulled his hand away, almost like he could hear my thoughts. I yearned to feel his fingers tracing little patterns on my arm again.

"Dat's gonna be there for a while, and so is da cut on your bottom lip. Otha den dat stuff, you should be fine."

I grinned and said, "Thanks Doc. I bet it improves my looks a little bit."

He grinned back at me and shook his head. "Nah. But ya do look more like us guys."

I smiled and walked over to the window. _I wonder…_ I started climbing out.

"Where are ya goin'?" Race asked dumbfounded.

"Where does it look like I'm goin'? Da roof, Higgins." I jumped up off the windowsill and grabbed onto the ledge. Pulling myself up was the tricky part. My arm felt like it was being cut off when I finally got up there."

"Hey, wait for me. I'm comin' too!" I watched him grab onto the side of the roof and try to get up. He was having a fairly difficult time and I couldn't help but to laugh. I watched him with an amused expression on my face.

"Ya gonna help me, or are ya just gonna watch me struggle?"

I leaned over the edge to look at him."I think I'll watch. It proves for very interestin' entertainment."

He glared at me and I laughed. "I'm just kiddin'," I said, extending my hand. He grabbed it and I yanked him up.

"Finally. I thought for sure I was gonna fall," he said to me, gasping for air.

I smiled and shook my head. "I wouldn't let dat happen to ya. I don't wanna see ya get hurt."

"Yeah, well I'd say dat, but I've already seen ya hurt."

I shook my head again. "No. I'm not hurt. Not really. And ya didn't see it happen, so it's okay."

"Well I still don't like it. How are ya gonna sell your papes with your arm like dat?" he asked pointing at my swollen shoulder and the bruise forming on it.

I shrugged. "I'll manage. I've had worse happen ta me before. Especially livin' in da south, wit my dad an' all."

Hee nodded. "Yeah, me too. I was beat so bad one time, I was knocked out. I was bleedin' pretty bad too. They dragged me into a dark alley and left me there to die. Jack an' da boys found me and took me back ta Kloppman. I was out for three days 'fore I actually came to."

I made a face. "Dat's pretty bad," I said, sitting down on the slant. He sat down too and started messing with the shingles.

"What's da worst that dat's ever happened to you?" he asked me nonchalantly.

I thought for a second. _Da worst thing? Otha than my parents dyin' and my brudda bein' taken away from me? Hmm…_

"Well there was dat one time my pop drenched us in rum and set us on fire. He came home so drunk he could barely some up da stairs. My ma was out back hangin' up da wash and me and Trooper were asleep in our room. My pop came up da stairs and started pourin' rum on our sheets, da floor, and on us. He lit Trooper up, and he woke up screamin' bloody murder. I woke up, saw dat he was on fire, and jumped on him tryin' ta put 'im out. I dindt know what I was covered in til I caught fire too. My ma had heard Trooper scream and she came upstairs. Grabbin' an old coat, she started smotherin' da flames an my brudda and then on me. Da whole time dis was happenin', my pop was standin' in da corner drinkin' and laughin' maniacally. Mamma told us not ta tell anyone what happened 'cause she didn't want my fadder ta go ta jail. So we didn't. We were burned pretty badly, so we had ta tell people we fell into da fire pit in da backyard."

He looked at me with his mouth hanging open in disbelief. He made a face of disgust and shook his head. "Why would anyone do dat to their kid? I just don't understand it."

"Yeah, well me either. I have lots of scars 'cause of him," I said, lifting up my shirt exposing the scars on my stomach. "This one is from a glass bottle he threw at me," I said pointing to a long narrow cut mark. "And this one is from da time he took a potato peeler to my back." I showed him a couple of wide marks on my lower back. He touched them carefully; like he was scared it would hurt me to out any pressure on them. I shivered.

"They feel smooth," he said to me. "This one looks like it hurt. Where'd ya get it?"

I craned my neck to see which one he was talking about. "Oh, dat's from da time he hit me wit a board dat had a nail in it. When he did it, da nail stabbed me, and instead of pullin' it out, he yanked da board down, rippin' a line into my skin."

He made a noise and trailed his fingers over it. _I wish he'd stop doin' dat. It really tempts me._ He didn't stop right away. He traced patterns on my back and slowly eased up until he stopped completely. _Ughhh._

"You an' ya brudda are lucky he didn't kill you."

"It's not like he didn't try, Race. Because he did, at least once or twice a week. Trooper and I used ta sleep in shifts just in case he tried ta get us in da middle of da night again."

He nodded and said, "Yeah, but he didn't kill ya. You survived. I don't know many guys dat woulda been able ta deal wit dat, much less any girls."

I let out a huff. "What does me bein' a girl have ta do wit anything? I hate it when people mention dat. I don't wanna be pitied just 'cause I'm a girl. It's stupid. I don't want people ta look at me as just a girl. I wanna be treated like one of da guys. Is dat so damn hard for everyone ta understand?"

Race quickly shook his head. "No no, I didn't mean it in a bad way. Just dat it'd be a hard situation for anybody ta deal wit. Even me. You're da toughest girl I've ever met, Flash. You're tough minded and tough bodied."

I smiled a little bit. "Really? Dat's good ta know, Higgins. You're da only one I've met who seems ta understand me, otha than Anna. Ta be honest, I think ya understand me betta than she does."

It was his turn to smile. "I feel like ya understand me too."

I pulled out a cigar and lit it.

"Ya know, you're da only otha person I know dat smokes dat type of cigar, otha den me. Da guys complain dat dey don't like da tastes. Or da smell."

I took other puff and blew out the smoke making an "O." I passed Race the cigar and said, "It ain't my favorite. I like Havana's betta. But ya know, a cigar is a cigar. Doesn't really matta ta me."

He nodded pulling the cigar outta his mouth and blowing out the smoke. "Dat's what I tell 'em all da time, but dey still won't shut up 'bout it." He smiled, passing it back to me. "Wanna play poker wit me an' da boys? Whoever loses has ta buy da winner a Havana. Or steal. Steal is more like it. Oh, but don't be too upset when ya lose, Fuchs. Not all of us can be experts."

I grinned, gripped the side of the roof, and swung into the window. "Oh, you are so on, Higgins!"

**Let me know what you guys think! R&R and I will send each of you a boat! Well… not really. But you should still R&R and add to favorites! :D thanks so much!**


	8. Da Place We Like Ta Go

**Chapter 8**

"Alright, you know da deal," I said to Flash. "You know what ta do."

She nodded, stuffing her Havana in her breast pocket. "Yeah, I know Spot. I know. I remember where ta go. Geez."

"Okay." I gave her a playful push and smiled. "Go on, get outta here." She stuck her tongue out at me and turned to walk away. I watched her go until she turned the corner. I was alone on the dock now. "Swimming sounds great right about now," I said aloud to no one in particular. Not that anyone would have heard me. I was alone.

I stripped down to my underclothes and plunged headfirst into the water. It was freezing cold. Oh well. I floated on my back and looked at the clouds, lost in my own jumbled thoughts.

"Hey, Conlon! What are ya doin' swimmin' in da fall?" I t was Race.

"Swimmin'. In da fall," I said smirking.

"No shit, smartass," he said grinning. "Why?"

I shrugged. "I had a free minute with Flash gone so I decided to use it."

He nodded. "Ahh. I see. She been gone long?" he asked.

"Nah," I told him shaking my head. "She just left."

"Watch out, I'm comin' in," Race said. He stripped and jumped in making a splash. He came back up and floated for a while. "Jack left," he told me.

"Jack? Gone? Where?" I asked him.

"He took a trip to Santa Fe with Sarah, Davey, and da rest of 'em. I don't know how long he'll be gone though."

"So he up and leaves when we need him? Dat's bullshit, Race. He said he'd help."

"I know, I know. He just wanted ta spend some time wit Sarah. He wants ta marry her ya know. Da rest of da boys are gonna help. And me. Flash too."

I looked at him outta the corner of my eye. "I kissed her da other day."

"Wait, what?"

"I kissed 'er. I dunno what came over me. I just… did it, ya know?"

"Yeah," he said. "Was she any good?" Race asked, smiling and winking at me.

_He must not like her back._ I'm glad but at the same time, I'm not. I could tell she really had a thing for him in her letter to Anna. I kinda felt bad that he didn't feel the same about her.

"Yeah, she was," I said nonchalantly.

Race started swimming again. "Well dat's good. At least she ain't terrible."

"Mmhmm. Hey, have ya ever noticed she has a scar on da side of her face?"

"Yeah. I never asked her how she got it. Have you?" he asked, backstroking.

"Nah. But I'm curious about it. It makes her look more like us. We got scars everywhere."

"Yeah, well so does she. She has lots of scars; ya just can't see 'em."

"Then how do ya know about 'em?" I asked.

He shrugged. "She showed 'em to me. You won't believe how many she has."

"Where'd she get 'em? Fights?" I asked him curiously.

"Yeah, I guess you could say dat. She don't really like talkin' 'bout it."

"Oh. I'm getting' outta dis water," I said, changing the subject. "It's too cold."

He grinned. "Wuss," he said to me, but he climbed out onto the warm dock too. "Hey, you know if she's gonna stay here tonight? Or is she comin' ta Manhattan?"

I thought for a second. "Well she stayed here last night, so she might stay in Manhattan tonight. I don't know."

"The guys'll be happy ta hear dat. She's growin' on 'em, da lot of 'em. They all get along wit her, no problems. But she's really become friends with Mush, Kid Blink, Jack, and Crutchy. Whenever she stays wit us, she hardly ever leaves their sides. Joined at da hip, dey are."

"She ain't really met my boys 'cause it could mess up da plan. But she has met Bane, and they seem ta get along fine. He don't really say much about her. She misses her friend Anna though. Well, at least dat's what she told me."

"Ya mean Anna… uh…"

"Bellefskii?"

"Yeah, Bellefskii. Maybe we should get her ta come ta New York. Like a surprise."

"We could do dat. I'll look into it."

"Great," he said smiling and standing up. "Imma go, I gotta meet Skitts over at Medda's. See ya later. Oh, and tell Flash ta meet me on da roof if she decides at stay in Manhattan tonight. She'll understand what you're talkin' about."

"Okay," I said nodding. "Sure thing."

* * *

><p>"I tried ta get more outta them, but they just wouldn't say nothin'," Flash said, looking at me like I was gonna hit her. She tried to say something else but she just sat there faltering.<p>

"Hey, whoa whoa whoa. Calm down darlin'. You're lookin' at me like I just told you ya had ta eat my dirty socks. I'm not da one ya need ta worry 'bout disappointin'," I said to her, fiddling with my pocket watch.

I guess my watch had distracted her because she dropped the subject and was watching me mess with it.

"Dat's nice. Where'd ya get it?" she asked me curiously.

I sat there flipping it in my hands before I spoke. "It was my pa's. I got it when he died."

"Your muddah give it to ya when he died?"

"Nah… she was long dead."

"Oh…" she looked like she regretted saying anything. _Should I tell her? She I have even told her dat much? I don't know if I should trust her. I don't trust nobody. Well… except her. She told me about her life so she obviously trusts me. She deserves as much._

"Hey, Race," she said a little gentler than normal, "you can tell me. I won't tell a single soul." She put her hand on my shoulder.

_Don't look at her, don't look at her, whatever ya do don't look at her._ I looked around across the street at the Italian restaurant. _I haven't eaten there in a while. Wait, why am I thinkin' about dat? Shouldn't I be thinkin' about something more serious? Oh whatever, who cares? Thank God I'm da only one dat can hear my thoughts._

I glanced at her and instantly regretted it. I knew after looking at her eyes, I was gonna tell her.

I sighed. "I don't remember much, just dat she was pregnant. My pa told me something went wrong and she died. So did da baby. If she woulda lived, I woulda had a little brudder or sister."

I turned my head to look at her. She had a solemn look on her face. Her mouth was in a hard line.

"What?" I asked her, appalled.

"Why the hell do all da good people come from screwed up back stories? It's not fair. What did any of us do ta deserve havin' our lives messed up so badly?"

I gave her a small shrug. "I quit askin' dat a long time ago. Most people give up tryin' ta find da answer ta dat within da first few months of bein' on their own."

"Yeah, well I ain't 'most people,' she said softly. "We don't deserve this." She started messing with the back of my hair. It sent a chill up my spine; the good kind. "Do ya think we deserve this, Race?"

"Hell no. but is it gonna change anything? Nope. I'm just gonna do what I gotta do."

Nodding and still messing with my hair she said, "Always been my motto."

I closed my eyes and just let her fingers twist and trail in my hair. It reminded me of something my ma did, but I got a different feeling outta it this time. She whispered in my ear.

"Don't go ta sleep on me, Higgins. Dat's no fun."

I shifted a little to let her know I was still awake and our knees brushed. A wave of heat coursed through my leg and I pulled away. She moved her leg as the same time, making a slight sort of gasping noise. _Wait, was dat good?_ I couldn't tell.

She quit messing with my hair. _Damn._ She reached into her pocket and pulled out a Havana. She lit it and gave it to me. I took it gratefully because I was completely out. I sucked in and it tasted sweet. I let the smoke roll off my tongue and out of my mouth.

"I hope you enjoy dat," she said messing with my hair again. "Dat was my last one."

I nodded. "Thanks." I closed my eyes again.

"Don't mention it, Race," was the last thing I heard Flash say before I drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p>I took the cigar outta his mouth and ground it out. Race was leaned up against me, asleep. <em>Dat's da last time I mess wit his hair. He's out cold.<em>

I sat there on the roof with Race on my arm. It was unseasonably warm outside. Racetrack started mumbling something inaudible.

"What'd ya say?" I asked him confused.

"A quarter a piece… I'll win dis time… I'll bet on Breakthrough."

I started laughing. He was talking in his sleep!

"… Why'd ya do it Spot? Why'd ya go n' kiss 'er? I have to… No, it's my call… Dat pony better make it, for my name ain't Racetrack for nuttin'…"

_Wait, what? Kiss who? Where? A pony? Or… Dammit, Spot musta told 'im. Great. Just my god forsaken luck. I didn't want Race ta know! Now he __will__ only think of me like his damn little sister._

I lay him down on the roof and looked back up at the sky._ New York really is a pretty place. Pretty like da south. I might go back someday… maybe._

My thoughts were interrupted by a thumping noise. I turned just in time to see Mush hoisting himself up onto the roof.

"Oh, heya Flash. I didn't know you were up here."

"Yeah. I can leave if ya want. It'll take a while ta get Racetrack down though."

"Nah, you can stay, but we oughtta get Race into bed." He walked over to Racetrack and shook him "Race. Hey, Race, wake up. We gotta get ya off da roof."

Racetrack slowly stood up and stumbled around I caught him before he fell. Mush went first, and then Race. I went into the window last and saw Mush leading him to his bunk. I followed them

"Here Race. Go ta sleep."

He climbed into bed and closed his eyes. He fell asleep surprisingly fast.

"He's fine now. Come on," Mush said to me, turning and walking back to the window.

I looked around to make sure no one was looking, and I kissed Race on the forehead. He stirred a little bit. I turned and walked quickly to the window. Mush was already on the roof so I climbed up too.

"So what are ya doin' up here?" I asked him.

"I come up here when I want time for myself. I like lookin' at da city from here."

I nodded. "I know what ya mean. I can leave if ya wanna be alone."

He shook his head. "I don't mind ya bein' here. I like havin' a girl ta talk to every once in a while. Before you came here, I used ta have ta talk ta Medda. She was nice, but she doesn't really relate, 'cause of our age difference."

I smiled at him. "Thanks. Hey… do ya know what Race thinks of me?"

"He likes ya like da rest of us. Why?" he asked me curiously.

"Oh," I said a little disappointed. "You promise you won't tell nobody? None of da guys?"

"I promise," he said crossing his heart.

I nodded. "I think I got feelin's for 'im, Mush. Overly friendly kind of feelin's. And I dunno what ta do."

"I can always talk ta him if ya want."

"No! I mean… don't say nothin' 'bout it ta him, okay? Dat's da last damn thing I need. Just… keep dis between me an' you, alright?"

"Okay Flash. I won't tell nobody," he said shrugging. "But why do ya like Race? Youse guys are so much alike, you'd clash. Why not Spot? He's like you, but different too. Race is like da boy version of you."

"I do like Spot. But like you said, Race is like da boy version of me. I understand him good, and he understands me too. And we like da same stuff. I don't think we'd clash. Not really."

"Yeah. And you're both damn good at poker too," he said winking at me. "I don't know how good ya are wit da ponies though. Race stinks at dat." He made a face. "Waste of time ta me. No fun in watchin' a bunch'a horses run around and losin' your hard earned money."

I grinned and flicked his ear. "I know he stinks at it. Can't pick 'em as good as I can. And da races… I dunno, they give me peace. And a chance ta occupy my time. I've been to da races so many times. I've gotten good at findin' da right ones. I'm an expert." I winked at him and giggled.

"Dat's another thing. You're both cocky as hell." He flicked my nose and pushed me sideways.

_I'll teach him._ I rolled down the slope of the roof and "fell" off, grabbing a pole on the side of the building. I swung and leapt to a few more poles all the way to the back of the building. This took me mere seconds.

"Flash! Flash, no! Oh man! Oh man, oh man, oh man! Sh-shit! Guys! Hey guys, Flash fell off da roof!" he yelled, climbing down and swinging into the window. I waited until he was running into the bunk room before I snuck in the other window.

"She fell! She just fell right off! I pushed her to da side, ya know just playin' aroun', and she rolled off!"

I crept up behind him quietly and put my finger to my lips. The guys saw me and started snickering and holding back laughter.

"What? Why are youse guys laughin'? I'm bein' dead serious! She could be hurt!" Mush hollered.

I grabbed his sides and he jumped about a mile in the air.

"Or I could be fine and right behind ya," I told him laughing. The other guys were laughing too. Mush started blushing.

"I knew dat. I was just pretendin' I didn't. Jokes on you now."

I was grinning from ear to ear. "Sure ya did Mush, sure ya did."

"What's all dis yellin' an' laughin' about? What'd I miss? It better be good, 'cause it woke me up," Race said grumpily, standing in the doorway.

"Well Mush pushed Flash off da roof and-" Kid Blink began.

"You pushed her off da roof?" Race interrupted him and turned to stare at Mush in disbelief.

"Well… no. No, not really. I shoved her a little and well… she rolled down and-"

I interrupted this time. "I grabbed onto some poles and hid. He freaked out and ran in here yellin'. I snuck up behind him and scared him outta his skin," I finished, grinning.

"So ya didn't fall of da roof?" he asked me looking confused.

I giggled. "No, I didn't. He thought I did though."

He still looked confused, so I gave up trying to explain. "I'm gonna go outside ta smoke." I took out the cigar that Racetrack didn't finish and started walking down the stairs.

"Hey, I'm comin' wit you. You gotta share dat wit me," Racetrack called after me. I waited at the bottom of the stairs for him. He got down the stairs and we walked outside. He got ahead of me and started walking toward the alley where we slept on the first day we met.

"We gotta walk all da way to da alley ta smoke?" I complained.

"Yes. Quit your whinin', it ain't like we got far ta walk."

I stuck my tongue out at him but he didn't see me. "We go here a lot. I think it needs a code name, instead of 'da alley.' Dat's boring."

"How 'bout 'our alley'?"

"Boooring. Pick somethin' else."

"But I can't think of nothin'. I'll pick somethin' later."

I rolled my eyes and sighed. "Fine. Lazy."

He sat down and looked up at me. "Well? Ya gonna sit down?"

"Don't rush me, Higgins. I was gettin' there." I plopped down next to him. I took out the cigar and handed it to him because I forgot my matches. I watched him light it and put it to his mouth. He smoked it for a second and passed it back. I grabbed it and took a drag. Blowing out the sweet smoke I said, "This is becomin' a habit. We share cigars a lot. Mostly mine," I said to him grinning.

He grinned back. "We share mine too. Da next cigar we share will be one of mine, how's dat?"

I shrugged, taking another puff. "Sounds fair. Here, your turn."

"Thanks. How'd I get in bed?"

"Oh, me and Mush helped each other get you off da roof, an' then he made sure ya got in your bunk alright."

"Ahh," he said nodding. He gave the cigar back to me. "You stayin' in  
>Brooklyn tomorrow?"<p>

"Yeah. Probably. I gotta make sure I'm there if Spot needs me. He sorta depends on me now. Just don't tell him I said dat."

"Oh. Yeah. I guess you're right." He was nodding again. I took a puff and realized it was the last one.

"Hey, dat's not fair. I wanted da last drag," Race said looking at me. I turned to look at him , the smoke still in my mouth. I leaned in close to his face and used my hand to gently open his mouth. I got as close as I could without my lips touching his. I closed my eyes and slowly blew the smoke into his mouth, being careful not to touch him. I sat there for a second with my eyes closed, a little too nervous to open them. When I finally did, I saw him sitting there with wide eyes and his mouth slightly dropped.

"Well… ya said ya wanted the last drag. Ya got it," I said to him, feeling a little embarrassed but not showing it. I was still really close to his face, and when I realized it, I pulled away.

He cleared his throat and said, "I um, yeah thanks. It was good."

_Oh god. I scared him. It was an impulse. I… Damn._

"Uh, yeah. No problem. Let's go," I told him. We stood up and started walking.

"Second-hand," he said to me.

I stopped for a second. "What?" He kept walking.

"Second-hand. That's da code for da alley."

I smiled to myself. "Okay, Race. Second-hand sounds good." I caught up with him and saw him smiling.

"Tastes good too. Havanas always reminds me, I need ta get some more tomorrow."

"Yeah, and ya better share wit me Higgins." I shoved him playfully.

"Don't worry Fuchs, I will." he said shoving my back.

We went back inside and up the stairs. Most of the guys were already in bed.

"You goin' ta bed, Race?" I asked him.

"Nah, imma play poker wit da guys dat are still awake. You wanna play too?"

I shook my head. "I'm goin' ta bed. Night, Higgins." I half hugged him and walked to my bunk.

"Night Alba!" he called after me as I blew out the candle and crawled into bed.


End file.
